On Patrol
by JackMunroe
Summary: Several people in the Batman universe struggle with new life experiences, loss, and the downside of crime-fighting. (Perspectives from Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake and Batman in the first person)
1. Chapter I

**On Patrol**

"J-Jesus." I mutter to myself, taking my hands off the snowy building edge and flexing my frozen fingers. I shiver in my sleeved costume, trying to drape my stiff cape around me to keep in heat. I wish I could leave. But Bruce ordered me to stay on this stupid rooftop in the middle of winter to be on patrol.

I check my watch outside of my faded green gloves. Only 1:24 AM. I have another 3 hours before I can leave. I shiver violently and begin to pace. No one here with me to pass the time. If I even attempt to leave, I'll have Bruce breathing down my neck and suspending me from duty. And if I get suspended, no more hanging out with Babs.

The thought of Babs brings an involuntary but much-appreciated flood of heat to my cheeks. I curse myself for being stuck here alone, where she's somewhere in Gotham, beating up the bad guys in that skintight costume. Another flood of heat hits me. I lean against an icy wall, and cross my arms. After a while, I'm dozing off…

"RAGH!" Someone yells on the right of me, and I kick off into a panicked fighting position, stumbling over my cape and throwing my aching arms and legs into a shivering fighting stance.

Barbara Gordon doubles over, laughing at me shivering in that ridiculous pose. I quickly drop my arms, embarrassed.

"Oh, ha ha...very funny, B-Babs." I chatter out. She laughs again at me, huddled in my frozen cape.

"Sorry, I saw you dozing off, and I just had to. I can't complete I managed to sneak up on the Boy Wonder! Even when I've only been here a few months!" She teases, leaning against the wall.

"Only way to pass the t-time. It's not like anything is going on out here, anyway. Did your sh-shift end?" I ask.

"Well, it will in five minutes. I just thought of you by yourself, and decided to pay you a visit." She says matter-of-factly.

"That's sweet-t of you." I stutter.

"Jeez, it's cold up here." She shivers. "At least I was lucky enough to find a furnace on my rooftop. Or is it just me?" She asks jokingly, watching my face turn red despite the cold.

"Been up here since t-ten. Freezing." I say pitifully. She makes a silent 'Awww' face and gets up from the wall she was leaning on, and walks up to me.

"Here, this might help."

She wraps her cape around the both of us as I do the same, her head resting on my chest. I rest my head on top of hers as we stand huddled together. I quietly hiss out a breath, feeling her warmth against me.

"Do you wanna know something?" I mumble over her head.

"What is it?" She asks sleepily.

"Without you, I think I would've quit a long time ago." I say softly. I feel her move slightly under me, repositioning her head.

"That's sweet." I can hear her smile in her voice, barely kept at bay.

In a burst of bravery, I gently lift her head with my fingers, and we lock eyes. We both unconsciously lean forward. Right before our lips meet, there is the familiar wail of a police siren.

"God dammit-" I begin to groan.

"Time for business. Don't worry Birdboy, you'll get another chance sometime." She laughs while separating from me, walking away towards the noise.

"What do you see?" I ask groggily as I pull out my grapple gun.

"Looks like a robbery. A few police cars chasing a van. I don't know the kind." She says, pulling at the folds of her cape.

"What are you doing?" I carefully ask, watching her rearrange her cape, standing on the edge of the building.

"Gliding practice." She turns and smiles at me.

"But you're not finished with the training yet! It's dangerous." I say quickly.

"Don't worry, Dick. I learn from _experience_!" She shouts, leaping off the building.

I sprint after her, putting my grapple gun in my holster as I leap off the edge after her.

I dig my fingers into the built in hand-pockets inside my cape, and extend my arms completely. The cape goes taut, and the frosty wind catches the cape as I suddenly glide in a perfect arc in the Gotham night sky. I see the bat-like figure of Babs laughing as she dips and rises back and forth after the police chase.

I suddenly pull my arms inward, going into a steep dive. I harshly extend my arms as my cape suddenly launches me forwards after Babs. As we're neck and neck, gliding over the dirty streets and flashing cars, I shout to her over the roaring din of the wind.

"You did it!" I yell.

"Did you doubt me?" She shouts back, still giddy from the gliding.

"That's n-not what I meant-" I trail off, watching her.

"DUCK!" She shouts, as I look forward. I barely manage to pull my right arm towards me as I dip to the left and avoid by inches a building I was about to slam into, rolling to the right of Babs.

"Nice save!" She shouts again. "Next time, pay more attention!" She laughs over the wind.

"We're getting close!" I shout. We slowly dip forward, matching the pace of the swerving van.

"Let's do this!" Babs whoops, before pulling her arms inward and freefalling towards the van.


	2. Chapter II

**On Patrol, Chapter II**

Batgirl releases her cape and gracefully lands on the roof of the speeding van. I glide to the left and dig my hands out of their holds, grabbing onto the van's door. It unexpectedly flies open, and I am shot backwards, dragging alongside it. My boots skid on the rough road. A man in a Two-Face mask leaps up from inside the van. I hear him shout over the noise of the car "It's Robin!" He pulls a .357 out of it's holster, and aims at me.

I instantly let go of the door handle, slamming and skidding across the hard street and quickly firing my grapple gun at the fender of the vehicle, still rolling. I scramble to attach it to my belt, and at the last second it clicks as it yanks me forward, now holding onto the rope of the grapple as I use my boots to absorb the road.

I watch Batgirl swing into the open door, and I hit the button on my grapple gun and it zips me up the thin rope. I grab onto the fender, and pull myself up to the top of the van. I run across the roof and throw myself into the open door. Inside, Batgirl is holding onto the wheel, hunched over the knocked out driver, trying to drive the vehicle.

I see the thug with the gun slumped over a crate in the back of the van. I finally let out my tense breath, and begin to tie up the thug. Batgirl grunts, still holding onto the wheel.

"What's the matter?" I ask quickly.

"The guy's on the pedal. Too big to move." She responds, with a tone of frustration in her voice.

"I got this." I wrap my grapple rope around the enormous driver's arm, and stand back. I click the opposite button and the rope tries to pull him, before finally giving a screech of protest.

"We're gonna go into the highway soon. Hurry!" She shouts, driving the car.

I repeatedly tap on the grapple gun as it continues to screech, slowly pulling the man.

"Come on! Come on!" I shout, seeing the highway sign. I hold down the button, and the man begins to rise over the seat.

"Are you kidding me?! Come on!" I shout.

"Di-Robin...what do we do?!" She looks at me quickly, worried.

"Can you crash this car?" I say softly.

"Not with them. Not at this speed." She says back sadly.

The machine grinds and snaps, and I race forward to grab onto the man, pulling him backwards still.

"_Come on!_" I shout, yanking him with all my strength. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he finally falls out of the seat, and Batgirl leaps into the chair, hitting the brakes.

The car screeches to a stop, and we pull over. We breathe heavily for a minute.

"T-tie 'em up." She wheezes.

I bend down and tie up the fat man, and drag his friend over to him.

"Let's go...might as well head back to the Cave, by now Batman probably already knows…" I say tiredly.

"Okay…" Barbara gets up, and we jump out of the car.

Barbara begins to pull out her grapple gun to scale the nearest building.

"Looks like I'm gonna need yours…" I show her my broken grapple.

"Uh oh…going home is gonna _suck_," She groans.

I grab onto her waist, and she shoots the grappling gun. We suddenly zip up the wall, and climb up the edge. We stand together awkwardly.

"Look, I'm sorry. I wish I could stay the rest of the night." She says sadly to me.

"It's okay. I can get the whole '_reckless endangerment, improper care of your tools, disregard of all precautions_' thing, but the worst part's the suspension. I guess I won't be seeing you for a week, then." I say depressingly.

"Well, let's make you look extra forward to when we see each other next." Before I know what's happening, she strides forward and kisses me, having to stand on her toes to reach me. I quickly lean down, holding onto her gently. After what seems like minutes, we break.

"Well. Let's get this over with. By the way, what happened to you?" She asks as we walk towards Wayne Manor leaning on each other, eyeing my scratches and bloody scrapes.

"Got thrown out of the car. It hurt."

"Ouch. At least you can avoid that for a week." She says jokingly.

"Babs, I would take a beating any day if it meant being with you."


	3. Chapter III

**On Patrol, Chapter III**

"_Insubordination. You had one job, Dick. I didn't ask you to take Barbara with you, I didn't tell you to endanger her even though she's only been Batgirl for seven months. She could have died._" Bruce growled, pacing as I stood waiting for him to finish his lecture.

"She's not as helpless as you think. She can handle herself." I shoot back.

"_It isn't a matter of being helpless. It's a matter of you encouraging her to disobey orders. She should be following your example, and it's not a good one when you do things like let her accompany you to stop a gang-related robbery._" He shuts down my argument quickly. I know he's right, but I know I'll be suspended, so I let my anger control me.

"I don't need your lectures, Bruce. I'm in my damn college years. I can think for myself. I'm a grown man." I nearly shout at him, letting my temper flare.

"_You're a grown man? Then act like one. Letting her go stop Two-Face thugs when she hasn't even fully completed martial arts training yet isn't a very responsible thing to do." _He says coldly.

"_You're suspended. Eight days._" He stalks away to the computer. My temper flashes again.

"Fine! You're just scared that Gordon will find out his daughter is Batgirl!" I regret saying it the second it comes out. Barbara opens her mouth in shock. He suddenly stops dead, turning around.

"_**Two weeks.**_" He says quietly, yet I can feel his anger radiating off of him.

"Bruce...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-Barbara, wait!" I call out as she walks away from me, throwing off her costume and into her bag.

"_Let her go._" Bruce says.

I almost scream in frustration, and leave upstairs to Wayne Manor. As I stalk angrily to my room, I hear a familiar voice.

"Good evening, Master Grayson. Or should I say, morning." I turn around and see Alfred, carrying a tray full of fine china.

"Good morning, Alfred." I say tiredly.

"Would you like a cup of tea? It might make you feel better. I heard shouting downstairs." He says curtly, with a tone of kindness.

"That would be nice, Alfred...thank you." I take a cup of tea and sit down at the dinner table.

"You seem a bit down today, Master Grayson. Is there anything wrong?" He asks.

"Bruce and I got in an argument. He thinks Barbara can't handle herself. I said something stupid, and now Bruce and Barbara are mad at me...I'm an idiot." I groan, resting my head on the wood table.

"Now now, Master Grayson. We all make mistakes. I'm sure this won't be the last time you ever speak to Master Bruce or Master Barbara. Everyone does something rather foolish now and again, but I'm sure you'll have a chance to apologize."  
>"Do you think I should apologize now?" I ask, slightly embarrassed.<p>

"Give him the night. Get some rest, and in the morning talk to him. I suggest talking to Master Barbara whenever you can, since you don't see her as often as Master Bruce." Alfred responds.

"Okay...thank you for the tea and the advice, Alfred. I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight." I stand up from my chair.

"Goodnight, Master Grayson." He says, still sitting.

I head upstairs and into my room. I close the grand door and fall on my bed. I grab my phone off the nightstand and search my contacts for Barbara. Finding her, I hit enter and wait.

Ring...ring...ring...ring...ring...I sigh, desperately hoping for her to pick up.

"Hi, this is Barbara. I can't come to the phone right now, sorry. Leave your message at the beep." I hit end before I can leave a voicemail. I groan, and put my phone back on the nightstand. I roll over and drift off, forgetting to pull the covers over myself or change my clothes. Before long, I fall into a troubled sleep.


	4. Chapter IV

**On Patrol, Chapter IV**

_I smile and watch my parents waving to the crowd. They hold onto each other, and launch off of their platform, swinging towards me...suddenly, the wire snaps. I try to shout...but they're falling...falling...falling..._

My eyes flash open. I blink blearily at the blinding light seeping from the curtains. I get up from my bed, and sit on the edge, my head in my hands. The events of last night spin in my head, and I feel a turmoil of regret, frustration, sadness...I get up, and put on new clothes. I leave my room and head downstairs.

"Good morning, Master Grayson. I prepared breakfast." Alfred's voice rings out, and I sit groggily at the table.

"Thanks, Alfred…" I poke at my omelette, my appetite lost from remembering what happened. I look up to see Bruce sitting at the end of the table, reading a newspaper in a bathrobe.

"Bruce...I'm sorry about last night." I say. He folds his newspaper and looks at me.

"It's alright. Have you talked to Barbara?" He asks.

"No...I called her last night, she didn't answer." I say quietly.

"I'll try to call her today. You have to get to school, you'll be late." He says.

I look at the time on the clock above the oven. It's 8:20.

"You're right. I need to go. Thanks for the food, Alfred! Bye, Bruce." I suddenly get up, running up the stairs and gathering my supplies.

After throwing my items into my bag, showering and pulling shoes on, I sprint out the door. I get in the back of the sleek black car, and Alfred drives me to school. After thirty minutes, we arrive at the old sprawling campus.

"Thanks Alfred. Pick me up at four?" I ask.

"Certainly, Master Grayson. Have an excellent day." I leave the car, and he drives off. I walk up the stairs and into the school.

Checking my watch, I realize I'm ten minutes late. I mutter to myself before sprinting off to my classroom.

"What is morality? What is considered secure knowledge in right and wrong? Is it ever possible to-" The professor stops, as I enter the room. I stand on the spot for a moment, before walking to an empty seat in the far back row. The professor begins again, but I'm distracted by my phone suddenly buzzing.

_Can't talk over phone. Meet at patrol building rooftop in 10. _My heart leapt in my chest. Now I just need to figure out a way to escape without causing attention. I stood up, leaving my row and walking down the steps to the door.

"Excuse me? Mr. Grayson? Where are you going?" The professor asked.

"Forgot my laptop. I'm gonna go grab it." I say quickly.

"Very well." He turns away from me and continues his lecture as I stride out of the class. I walk down the halls and into the entrance, opening the doors and leaving the school. I run off the campus, and through the snowy streets on my way to the patrol building.

I finally make it there, and open the doors. They're locked, and won't budge. I sigh, and walk to the alleyway next to the building. I secure my satchel around me, and climb onto the dumpster. I leap up onto an icy windowsill, scaling the building quickly and reaching the top, pulling myself up to the edge and climbing over it. Barbara is sitting on top of a vent, watching me.

"You're late." She taunts.

"The professor was overbearing, I got nervous." I sarcastically respond back.

She half-smiles at me, and slides off of the vent onto the ground.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said last night, it wasn't my place to-" I begin.

"It's fine, I'm not mad at you. What you said was true. I just wanted a chance to talk since you're suspended for a while." She interrupts, and hearing her hits me with a wave of relief.

"Thank god. I just don't want you to be mad at me, I did something stup-I mean, like I re-I, you know-" I stutter horribly, sinking deeper with each word. She laughs, and my face turns beet red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I just love it when you get like that. How did things with Bruce go?" She asks.

"They went okay. He forgives me, and it was a stupid thing of me to do, letting you take that on yourself." I say

"'Letting me'?" She scoffs. "You didn't have a choice! And if I recall correctly, it wasn't me who almost ran into a building." She shoots at me.

"Well I'm sorry, but I was distracted!" I jokingly shout.

"With what?!" She shouts back

"You!" I yell, us drawing closer.

"Well I'm _sooo_ sorry for 'distracting you' by doing nothing!" She scoffs again.

"You weren't doing anything! You just...looked n-nice." I grumble, bowing my head.

"How am I supposed to be mad at you when you say stuff like that?" She teases at me, and I look up with a sheepish grin.

"What am I gonna do with you, Dick?" She sighs, bowing her head.

"I dunno…" I say hopefully. She smiles and leans in close to me. My heart bounds in my chest. Right as she's about to kiss me, she pecks me on the cheek instead.

"Oh, come on! That's unfair." I laugh, as she backs away.

"Hey, if you ever want to, all you have to do is ask." She says, her voice turning serious.

"Oh yeah?" I ask.

"Yeah." She says, walking up to me.

"Well then. Do you want to make out?" I say, suddenly embarrassed.

"Sure." She says, smiling. I lean down as she straightens up and we connect, our lips locking and then our tongues, blissfully.

After five minutes, I catch a glimpse of my clock.

"Mm!" I say, breaking the kiss. "I am very very late. If Bruce finds out…" I trail off.

She laughs. "Go, dummy. Meet up here tomorrow after school lets out?" She asks.

"Of course." I smile. "See you around, Babs!" I take a running leap off of the building, and grab onto a fire escape across the alley, sliding down on the ladder and onto the ground, sprinting back to campus.


	5. Chapter V

**On Patrol, Chapter V**

I tap my pencil on my notebook, staring at my watch. Today is the day I return on duty. The intercom chimes three times, and I throw my supplies in my knapsack, sprinting out the door. I run out the entrance, seeing the black car waiting for me. I hop in and see as per usual Alfred in the front seat.

"Good afternoon, Master Grayson. How was your day?" He asks.

"It was okay, Alfred." I say, trying to lower my excitement.

"That's good to hear. Anything interesting happen?" He asks again.

"No, nothing really...I'm looking forward to patrol today, though." I respond.

"I think that is the first time since you were twelve you've been happy for it." He curtly says.

"Yeah." I sigh, looking out of the window. We drive the rest of the way in silence. After a while, we get to Wayne Manor. I check my watch again, walking into the house.. Only 5 PM. I have another seven hours to go before I get to be on duty. I groan, not wanting to wait any more time.

Bruce is standing at the door, looking serious. I walk up to him.

"What's wrong?" I ask, confused.

"We've got an emergency." He replies. "Arkham Asylum breakout, led by Bane. On the loose is Joker, Killer Croc, Zsasz, Deadshot, and many others. This is a real problem. I've called in Barbara. I need you too." He says. My stomach turns to lead.

"C-can't Superman help? We can't do this alone." I ask nervously.

"He can't help us. Braniac's got a legion in Metropolis attacking, he's got his hands full. It's us alone this time." He says grimly. I nod my head.

"It's too much of an emergency to wait until midnight. It's getting dark, by the time we suit up it'll be night. Barbara's on her way. But I need you to promise me something." He says, becoming even more serious than before.

"What?" I ask.

"This is even more dangerous than before. You both need to stay together, after that I will come and get you both to accompany me. Don't let her get into anything she can't handle. I know she's strong, but she's inexperienced. Don't get yourselves killed. Promise me you won't do anything stupid? He asks.

"I...I promise." I say,

"Good. Let's go." He says quickly, walking into the mansion and into the living room. I walk upstairs quickly, throwing my knapsack into my room. I run downstairs and into the entrance of the batcave. I scale the stairs quickly and run to the costume display. I open the glass door, grabbing the costume, slipping it on. I secure my cape to my shoulder straps, pull my gloves and boots on. Finally, I plaster the domino mask onto my face. I grab my belt and make a routine check of my arsenal. Batarangs, check. Grapple gun, check. Tracker, zipline, smoke pellets. Check, check, check. Distress signal, and cryptographer. All there, plus more.

I walk over to Bruce on the batcomputer. Over the screen displays several red dots over certain spots in the city.

"Who are you going after?" I ask, watching the screen.

"Killer Croc. He's killed eight guards on his way out. Last place seen was him entering the Gotham sewers. He knows who let out the prisoners from Arkham. I'm taking him down before he can kill anyone else." He informs me, typing.

"Hey! I got here as fast as I can." Babs said quickly, walking down the stairs.

"No worries, you're right on time." I smiled, as she walked over to Bruce and I at the computer.

"Where are we going?" She asks, already briefed on Bruce's plan.

"GCPD's locked in a fight between escapees on the border of Arkham Island. They're pouring out, and you two need to help even the odds." He grunted.

"But- what about Zsasz? Two-Face? We can take out one of them!" I argue.

"Not yet." He says.

"But those are big problems. You can't take them all out yourself, can you?" I argue again.

"Gordon's and his squad's on Joker. You do what I say, or you stay here." He growled.

"Fine. We taking the car?" I ask.

"You're taking the Batplane. It's already programmed on autopilot, just turn it on and it'll go." He says shortly.

"Fine. Come on, Babs." I mutter, walking away from Bruce. The Batplane's hatch opens, and we climb inside. The hatch closes silently, and the shuttle begins to shake. We watch out of the window as we rise, and silently zip out of the opening of the cave.

"You guys fight a lot." She proclaimed, interrupting the silence.

"I don't like how he treats us like we're kids. I don't like how he'll let us join a fight that's already been won for us, when there's more important things to do." I answered, staring out of the window.

"Sorry. I know he treats us like kids, but I don't think he thinks we're kids. He's just being careful, I guess. Not saying I'm defending him." She mumbled.

"He can't 'be careful' when he's making us do stuff like this in the first place. We're trying to help make a difference, not just be given stupid jobs to feel important." I scoffed.

She readjusted herself in her seat, getting more comfortable.

"True." She murmured. "I just hope you guys stop fighting. I'm getting tired of patrolling alone." She opened her eyes, looking at me and smirking.

"Well, this is probably the last time we are alone the whole night." I say.

"True." She straightened up. "Maybe we should make something out of it."

"Yeah." I finished. "Maybe we should."

She stood up from her seat across from me, and walked closer. She sits down in my lap, and my stomach twists into knots. She leans close and kisses me, the both of us intertwined together. I never get tired of feeling her soft lips touch mine. I love every aspect of her. Her deep blue eyes, her beautiful red hair, and her perfect face.

Our kisses get longer and longer, desperately trying to get ahold of each other as much as we can. She takes my hand, and pulls it towards her chest, both of us still locked in a kiss. My hand moves closer, and rests on her breasts. They feels amazing, and I pull myself closer to her. I wrap my arms around her chest, her legs, everywhere as her fingers run through my short dark hair, still locked in a ferocious kiss...

"_Approaching Arkham Island. Preparing for Departure._" The control panel booms, and the hatch on the left of us opens, and wind whips my hair. She gulps silently, nodding and pulling up her panties.

"That was fun." She gasps, slipping on her tight leggings. I nod and get up, buckling my own pants to my suit and putting my hands in the small molds of the cape. She runs out and leaps, suddenly flinging her arms to the side. I do the same, and both of our capes suddenly go taut, and we're gliding above Arkham Island, viewing the Asylum's chaotic landscape.

"Woah…" She says over the comms, the wind too loud to hear her naturally. The Asylum is swarming with ants, hundreds of ants, pouring out and onto the grounds. I see the border of Arkham Island being barricaded by flashing blue and red lights. There are fires, riots, and destruction littering the entire island.

"Yeah." I say quietly. We dive to the barricade of policemen, quickly taking cover under a car. A spray of bullets dents the other side, and a police officer runs over to us.

"Robin! Batgirl! Where's Batman? We need help!" He says, his voice shaking. I'm slightly annoyed.

"We're the help. Batman's busy." I say, standing up, hunched over the car.

"F-fine. They've got a truck, they're gonna ram us!" He shouts, terrified. "If they destroy this barricade, hundreds will pour through!" He finishes, shaking.

"We won't let it." Batgirl says curtly. I touch my ear to my comms.

"Batman. They've got an armored truck, they're gonna ram it through the barricade. We're going in Arkham Island to shut it down." Theres static, and then a gruff voice.

"_Stay there. It's too dangerous for you, one of you will get hurt._" He crackles through the comms.

"If we don't, people will die. We need to take that risk. I'm sorry, Bruce." I pull out my earbud, and I motion to Batgirl.

"Are you sure about this? You just got suspended…" She trails off.

"I'm sure. You ready?" I ask grimly.

"You know it." She smirks.

I nod, and we clamber onto the car hood quickly, taking off in different directions. Batgirl cartwheels off, jumping onto the shoulders of an escapee and throwing him down using her momentum.

I throw a batarang at a thug brandishing an assault rifle, and it slams against it, whipping it out of his hands. Before he has time to try to pick up his gun, a swift kick to the solar plexus topples him backwards onto the hard road. A burly man punches me in the side of the head, and I crash into the ground, rolling and flipping upwards into a standing position.

He laughs, and charges at me. I can't take him out on strength alone, he's too big. I leap over his head, using his shoulders as a boost to throw myself behind him. I slam a kick into the back of his right knee, and he goes down. Before he can pull himself up, a chop to the back of his neck makes him suddenly go limp, and he collapses.

I continue onward, and Batgirl joins to the left of me. Another thug, laughing maniacally and brandishing a pipe sprints towards us. I take out a batarang, and send a clean shot to his forehead, disorienting him. Before he regains balance, Batgirl delivers a hard punch to his face, and he falls over, unconscious.

I chuckle. If only Bruce was here to see us, so apparently helpless, knocking down thugs left and right.

"There it is!" Batgirl points to a truck, covered in metal plates. The truck roars as the engine goes up, and begins its descent towards the island border.

"We have to stop it. Come on!" I yell and leap onto the side, kicking a nearby escapee in the face as I clamber onto the roof. Batgirl leaps onto the hood, running forward and trying to kick open the glass window.

"It's reinforced!" She shouts, and then leaps onto the roof as a spray of bullets fire out of the window she was just standing on. The truck gathers speed, and is approaching the barricade faster. I slide onto the slick hood, throwing batarangs inside the vehicle. I dodge left and right, avoiding gunfire as I desperately try to stop the truck.

A stray bullet catches me in the right arm, and I involuntarily let go of the mirror, slamming into the road, and jerkily rolling away.

_Robin...Robin...Robin..._

"Robin! Robin! Are you okay?" Batgirl's scared voice says inside my ear.

"Fine...I'm fine...I'm alright-" I'm cut off by what feels like a dagger piercing the side of my head. I scream in pain, and tuck into the fetal position. I open my eyes to see a thug standing over me, holding a crowbar, laughing as he hits me all over.

The crowbar slams into my arms, my legs, and my chest. _Get up...hit him...hurry..._I grit my teeth, and roll my aching muscles away, standing up quickly. The man aims a swing at me, and I catch the crowbar, my arm screaming in protest. I use my bloody arm to punch him three times quickly, and he falls backwards, letting to of the crowbar I'm still holding onto.

I turn around to see the armored truck turn on its side, screeching as it rolls against the barricade. It stops in time before smashing through, and even strengthening the barricade by the new addition to the blockade. My ears are ringing as my head dully aches, oozing blood. I limp to the truck and the barricade, as Batgirl sprints towards me.

"Thank god. Thank god. Thank god." Her voice shakes as she puts her arm around me, half-carrying me to the barricade.

"You did it..." I say weakly, looking at the truck.

"I did. Spikes." She smiles at me, and stares at the blood leaking down my face. We get over the cars, and Batgirl gently sets me against the tire.

"Be right back. I'm gonna get some bandages and supplies." She gets up and walks away, and I stare unfocused into the night sky. Batgirl walks back to me, and kneels down.

"Hold still, okay?" She carefully wraps a bandage around my bleeding head. After that, she pours something that stings onto my arm, and wraps it. She gets little spots where I'm bleeding so I feel better, and after fifteen minutes, I do.

"There. All done." She says, smiling at me.

"Thank you..." I say weakly, and she helps me up.

"The police are done here. We're advancing. We did it." She says hopefully.

"Thanks to you..." I murmur.

"And you. You took a bullet to stop the truck." She says matter-of-factly.

"But I didn't succeed, did I?" I cough. We walk over to the police officer that first talked to us.

"Thank you for the help. We couldn't have done it without you guys. Th-thank you." He nodded to us, and walked away to a group of police officers talking.

"The car's on its way...and so is Batman." She said, worried.

"Great." I smile and give a thumbs up. She laughs, breaking the somber mood and the noise makes it the best part of the night.

The batmobile pulls up, sleek, dark, and powerful. The door on the roof opens up, and Barbara clambers up, helping me inside. We sit in the chairs behind him, waiting.

"_We find Zsasz. He's broken out and taken a judge hostage. His accomplice is Harvey Dent._" He growls, driving.

"What do we do?" Barbara asks.

"_I take out Zsasz. Two-Face and his thugs are watching. You handle them._" The car pulls into an alley, and we leap out.

"_Robin. Can you do this?_" He looks at my bandages.

"Yes. I can." I say loudly.

"_I'll handle you two later. I converge on the roof, you two wait for my cue." _Batman grapples onto the roof, and we follow his example.

He opens a window on the roof carefully, and slips through it. We wait on the roof, standing over another window, pointing down towards the room where we can see Two-Face and his thugs. Maybe ten of them, total.

"I think I love you." Barbara whispers. My head whips up.

"What?"

"_NOW._" Batman says over the comms. We crash through the glass, gliding down and into the group of thugs.

"**Batman! You brought the kids.**" Two-Face harshly says, smirking.

"These kids are gonna kick your ass." Batgirl growled.

"I don't think so, Bat-bitch. **Get 'em, boys!**" Two face shouted, aiming a pistol at me. I flip forward and kick at Two-Face, knocking the pistol out of his burnt hand. I flip upward, punching him in the face and then roundhouse kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying.

Batgirl punches a thug in the throat, and kicks the one behind her in the chest, knocking him backwards. She throws a smoke pellet on the ground, and it explodes, the now submerged thugs shouting in confusion. There's yelling, and by the time the smoke clears, there are thugs littered on the ground, and Batgirl standing triumphant in the middle.

"How did you-that- that was basass!" I stutter. She beams at me. We turn and see the judge kneeling on the floor, with Batman holding onto Zsasz in a headlock, slowly and quietly knocking him unconscious. Finally, he drops the knocked out Zsasz and we gather.

"We're done here. GCPD is outside. Let's go." I frown at Bruce. No appreciation? A thank you would be nice.

We climb in the Batmobile. We drive off in silence.

"So." Babs says, breaking the silence. "Where to now?" She asks.

"Deadshot's taken care of. I got Killer Croc and Joker. The rest was apprehended by the GCPD, save a few that are still on the loose. Minor thugs." Batman grunts.

"So we're done?" Babs asks carefully. Bruce pulls into the entrance of the bat cave, driving in and parking the car on the platform. We clamber out.

"Yes. We are done. Done for good." Bruce sighed.

"Done for good? What do you mean?" I ask.

Bruce takes off his cowl, and leans his hands on a table.

"You're fired, Dick." I'm stunned. My entire body stops in place.

"Wh-what?" I ask, my voice booming.

"_You're fired._ You disobeyed me, you were shot in the process. You risked Barbara too, and I'm done. You're fired." He said quietly.

"W-you can't just..." I stutter.

"I'm done, Dick." He walked away. I stood there, still frozen. Barbara looked at me with a mix of worry, concern, sadness and anxiety all in her face. It's the end. I unhooked my cape.

"I love you too."


	6. Chapter VI

**On Patrol Chapter VI**

"I can't go with you." Barbara sobs.

"Please, Barbara. I love you. I need to leave, he fired me, I can't come back. Please, Barbara. Please" I beg, kneeling before her, holding onto her hands as she cries.

"Blüdhaven's got a worse crime rate than Gotham, Barbara. People are dying, it's the only place I can go after Bruce, and it's for my team. I've gotta help, Barbara." I plead.

"I love you too." She chokes. "I can't leave, I just can't. My dad needs me. Bruce needs me. They'll be all alone. I can't go with you." Her tears slide down her cheeks and onto her beautiful red hair.

"Please, Barbara. I need you. I love you so much, I can't lose you." I stand up and kiss her on the forehead, my hands shaking.

It's been six months since Bruce fired me. I've finished college, and have made plans to leave Gotham. It's not like I've got much of a choice. Despite a fortune from the royalties of my parents, and the pay from risking my life since I was nine years old, I'm not impossibly rich like Wayne.

I can't stay in Gotham anymore. I have to move out of the city, controlled by Batman. I'm taking current residence in a city called Blüdhaven, with an even worse crime rate than Gotham itself. I'm desperately trying to get Barbara to join me.

"I wish I could, but I can't, Dick. I'm only nineteen. I don't have the money to move." She whispers, tears still leaking down her cheeks.

"You don't need money! You don't need anything. We can pay, Barbara. Just please come with me. I love you. I can't lose you. Please." I beg. She nods her head, breaking into another bout of fresh sobs.

"I can't, Dick. I'm so sorry. I can't." I look up at her, and feel tears brimming in my eyes.

This is the only time I can see her now. It's June, and I'm sitting in her room, having snuck in from the fire escape and now watching her cry, as she sits on her bed. She won't come with me. I can't lose her. I just can't. Not like this. I know deep down she'll never come, but I still need to try. I love her too much.

"Barbara. This is my last day in Gotham." I beg. She lets go of my hands, and holds her head in them, and tears splash down onto her pajama bottoms, her gasping for breath.

"Hey. Hey. Easy. It's okay." I say quietly, my voice shaking. I brush her silky red hair out of her eyes, and tuck it gently behind her ear. She looks up slightly, her soft lips trembling. I feel terrible for even being here, watching her cry, her cheeks turning red and puffy as she prepares to say goodbye to the boyfriend she loves.

"I have a duty, Barbara. I need to help, I can't stay in Gotham with him. He won't take me back, and I'm staying as a superhero. It's the only thing I know how to do." I say, my voice breaking.

"I can't. I'm not gonna run away with you from my home and from my dad. I can't. I'm not coming with you. I know I can't convince you to stay, you're too angry." She sighs.

"Okay." What I hear I know was inevitable, but my heart still breaks. "Is this the end, Barbara?" I whisper, my voice breaking. "This has to be. It's gonna ruin us if we try to make it work." She takes a deep breath. "I love you, Dick. I do. But we can't try. We can't continue this if we're in two different cities." She runs her hands through her hair, pulling herself together.

"I'm gonna be Batgirl. Gotham needs me, and Bruce needs me. Like you need this. I support you, I do. But we can't keep doing this. It's hurting me. It's hurting you. I can't keep watching you tear yourself apart over this. You need to leave Gotham, I know. I love you, but it's over."

Her words vibrate in my skull, suddenly reminding me of Bruce's words before firing me. I'm a failure. I need to pull myself together. It's just another time on patrol. Pull yourself together, get up and assess the situation. Be strong. I look up and smile weakly at her, holding onto her hands.

"Okay. I promise I'll visit. I love you." I let go of her hands, wiping the tears off my face and standing up. She gets up too.

"I love you too." We kiss one last time, soft and bittersweet.

We separate, and I open the window, climbing out. I wave to her, and she covers her mouth with her hand, suddenly overcome again with tears. I feel the same effect dawn on me, and before I can show my emotions, I leap out of the fire escape, grabbing onto the opposite one across the alley, sliding down the ladder and onto the ground.

I feel drops hit my exposed skin outside of my sweatshirt. Of course it's raining. I walk to the bus stop in the mist, and after five minutes, a bus pulls up. The rain has gotten worse, positively dumping on me now. I get up from the bench and climb inside, sitting down near the front. I stick my hands in my soaking wet shirt pockets, and feel a small square box.

I slowly pull it out, and open it in with my fumbling fingers. I hold in my palms the opened box, and stare at the ring protruding out.


	7. Chapter VII

**On Patrol, Chapter VII**

"She's been shot." Bruce's voice gently says over my head, pressed into Barb's hospital bed.

"No…" I groan. "No. No." I hold onto her limp hand, shaking.

"She'll recover. But her legs are paralyzed."

"Who did this?" I ask, my voice muffled under the fabric.

"J-Joker." He whispers, his voice filled with guilt and sadness. I stand up from my seat next to her bed. I walk into the hallway outside of her room and kick a nearby chair, and it goes flying into a shocked nurse's desk.

"Dick." He says lightly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Where is he now?" My voice cracks, and I feel a fire inside of myself.

"He's kidnapped the Commissioner. I-I'm going after him." He guides me back into the room gently. My balled fists strain even more, and I feel a warm liquid drip down. I realize I have cut my palms open.

"I'm coming with you." I say, staring at him.

"Dick, he's worse than before. I need you to stay with Barbara."

"Please. I can handle it."

"I know you can, I know you can." He holds onto my shoulders, and for the first time in years, he hugs me.

"It isn't about if you can. I-I've hurt too many people." He whispers, and his usually strong voice cracks.

"I hurt you, I hurt her...and now Jim's in trouble. I should have killed Joker long ago. I'm so sorry for what I did to you. To her. This is my fault. I can't let any of you be hurt because of me anymore. I've already done too much." He lets go and wipes his eyes, turning around and staring out of the shuttered windows. I don't know what to say.

I instantly feel terrible for all the years I felt like he didn't care about us.

"I'll stay." I can see him move slightly in relief, his shoulders unstraining.

"Thank you. I'll be back in the morning." He walks out of the hospital room without another word, and I think to myself, no matter what happens, the Joker will die.


	8. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII**

"Is this the _end_, Birdboy? You're gonna finally pass your mentor and do the dirty job he could never do!" The twisted freak giggles at the barrel staring him between the eyes.

"Shut the fuck up!" I shout, my hands shaking as his poisoned words seep into my head.

"Tut tut, Robin! What would daddy say?" He does that horrifying giggle again, high and scratchy like nails on a chalkboard.

"You tried to kill Barbara. You kidnapped Gordon." I seethe through grit teeth, staring at the bruised and bloody shell of a man giggling on the floor.

"Tried? Believe me, kid. If I was trying to kill your squeeze, she'd already be dead_._" He says, his voice suddenly dripping with menace.

"Shut _up_!" I yell, slamming the pistol against his starch-white head. As it cracks into him, he goes sprawling onto the floor, laughing.

"Come on, wimp! Put some muscle into it. I haven't got all day." He breaks into a fresh bout of hysterical laughter, wheezing as he holds his chest.

"I don't know if it was the beatings or just the joke! I feel like I'm gonna pop something!"

"You've killed too many. I'm doing the world a favor." I whisper.

"Do what you want, _champ_. Say, we haven't got much time. If Batsy hasn't discovered your little kidnapping antics yet, he will soon. If you're gonna do it, make it fast."

"You say you're proving a point. What, that everyone's not as fucking psycho as you are?!" I ask furiously.

"Actually, the opposite! All you need to go as 'psycho' as me is one bad day. Hey, for example, the one you're having now. The Boy Wonder, kid partner to the Batman." He says mockingly.

"Now separated from him, to his horror he discovers his girlfriend's been shot. Goes beserk. Hunts the killer down, and despite following an ethical code tighter than his green underpants, he contemplates shooting him. Just like I said. _One bad day._"

"Whatever you're trying, it's not gonna work." I breathe, trying to set my muddled thoughts straight. He suddenly breaks into a new set of terrible, terrible laughter.

"Confused, are you? I can _tell_." He giggles in delight.

"Shut up." I growl, pointing the pistol at the knocked down man.

"If you kill me now, you'll only prove my point. So do it! Go bonkers! I know you want to." He says.

"You don't know how much I want to _kill you_!" I bellow out the last words, my blood boiling.

"It's getting boring, you know. I do something bad! Bats or the Boy Blunder catches me, sends me to jail. I break out, and do it again!" He cackles at the thought, brushing off his faded purple garments.

"The point is, kiddo, _end the cycle_. You know the reason why I keep killing is your fault. If you just put an end to this, I'll be gone for good! So do it! Do it! Do it, come on, pretty please." He giggles, jumping up onto his feet and beholding himself as a target to me.

I snarl at him, and cock the pistol. His long grin grows even more in size as he waits for the fatal shot.

"_Nightwing!_" Batman calls, gliding down from the warehouse roof window. He lands close to me, holding his hand out to me.

"_Please, don't. You're only proving his point._" He says in his Batman voice, edging closer slowly.

"So what?" I growl, holding the gun in place. "Maybe he's right. Maybe all it does take is one day. I'm tired of him hurting people."

"_Nightwing, I know. But we need to do this within the law. Please._" He pleads, watching me.

"Too slow!" Joker shouts, sprinting forward with a hidden knife under his scuffed leather shoes and slashing at me. Distracted, I feel a white-hot blade pierce my shoulder. I roar in pain as Joker and I topple backwards, him on top of me. I drop the gun and the Joker scrambles for it.

He picks it up and points it at me. I pull the knife out of my shoulder, groaning. He giggles again, drinking in the scene, me on the floor while blood pools down my arm, and Batman standing behind me, poised in action.

"So, time for the moment of truth! How will Bats handle his protégé shot to death by his worst enemy in front of him? Oh, let's find out." He giggles. I grab the knife, and leap off of the ground and towards him, as he fires blindly in excitement.

"_NIGHTWING! NO!_" Batman shouts behind me. There's crimson seeping into my vision, I throw the knife and leap onto him, and I feel the Joker crumple underneath me.

"No!" Bruce says, his voice changing to normal. Underneath me is the unconscious Joker. Away from the two of us is the fallen gun, a knife close to it.

"Didn't...kill him." I breathe heavily as I get up from off of him. "Knives can be batarangs...in a rush." He sighs with relief.

"Thank you." He walks forward and hugs me, and for the first time ever, I hug him back.


End file.
